Hooked
by C War
Summary: Ash has settled down and become a Frontier Brain, operating out of Pallet Town, and the League is suffering the Cerulean Blues due to Misty's winning streak. T for themes, just to cover my rear.
1. Chapter 1

The setting: Ash Ketchum is now 18 years old, and has finally decided to settle down a bit. He took the Battle Frontier up on their old offer, and has become a Frontier Brain, operating out of Pallet Town, where he lives near his mother. Unlike the other Brains, he doesn't have a big facility for his battles, but instead uses Professor Oak's laboratory field for his battles. His symbol, the Determination Symbol, has only been earned by other Frontier Brains, namely Anabel, Tucker, and Brandon, when they showed up for re-matches, and one or two others. Now challengers have a seventh Symbol to find before the location of the last is revealed, but since Ash is currently among the seven, Brandon hasn't had many challengers in the past year.

The League, on the other hand, is suffering from a case of the Cerulean Blues. Many trainers are stalling in Cerulean City, where Misty Waterflower has the longest winning streak of any Gym Leader in League history. Fortunately (as Gary Oak proved) there are more than just eight gyms in Kanto. But she still gets plenty of challengers, most seeking their eighth badge or beyond, and she still has unofficial battles with Ash and other Gym Leaders, which she doesn't always win.

Of course, she gets to see Ash a lot more now than she did while he traveled in Hoenn and Sinnoh. They get together with Brock, and occasionally some of their other old friends, every Saturday for lunch, which they usually followed with either a battle or a movie. Brock, too, has gained a reputation, especially now that, since Giovanni was convicted and Team Rocket disbanded, the new Viridian City Gym Leader had become the weak one. Brock, due to his time traveling with Ash and having diversified his team, is another big challenge, and has nearly as good a record as Misty. He is also dating the Pike Queen, Lucy, the first time that Ash or Misty has seen him focus on one girl that long. He really amazed them by not flirting with Nurse Joy when they met at the Pokemon Center last week.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Pikachu, we're just friends!"

"(Yeah, you've been saying that for years. And everyone but the two of you can see that it's more than that.)"

"Whatever. You don't know what you're talking about."

This wasn't the first time that the two had had this conversation, in fact it was the third time today, and the tenth time this week. Pikachu couldn't help but laugh inwardly, since like the other two times this morning, he'd said nothing to get them onto the subject. Even without having been with him for 8 years, he'd be able to tell that there was something just by how much Ash was fixated on the topic.

"Anyways, come on, we've got a new challenger coming in later, remember?" Ash tried to brush the thoughts of him and Misty away, but they kept coming back again and again. Pikachu laughed as he jumped down and followed Ash out of his small house, bought with a fraction of his winnings from over the years. Ash stretched as they stepped out into the sunlight. "Man, I'm glad that I've got this set-up. It's a lot more fun to battle outside than cramped inside of a building."

"(You're telling me. Especially if we were to battle in there.)" Pikachu pointed his tail back at the house to show what he was talking about.

"Yeah, there's no way that we could have a good battle in there." Ash stretched again. "I'm starting to see the advantages of being someone like a Gym Leader or Frontier Brain. I still get to see all kinds of Pokemon from around the world, and I'm able to just settle down and relax in one place. Though, I do enjoy traveling, too…"

"(Then we'll travel more later. Go back to places we've been before.)" Pikachu definitely agreed with Ash, though. It was definitely exciting to battle Pokemon from around the world, but he was glad that he didn't have to go into their habitats to do it, especially the Ice-type Pokemon. Snow was not Pikachu's preferred form of precipitation, and he really liked the climate here in Pallet Town. "(Who do you want me to go get today?)"

"Let's wait to see who the new guy is, first," Ash suggested. "Then we'll know who'll be best to fight him with." Another advantage of having the Battle Field at Oak's Lab, Ash was able to easily gather any of his Pokemon who were living there to battle.

"Hey, Ash!" Ash turned at hearing the very familiar voice, and his heart started to race, though he pretended not to notice.

"Yo, Misty!" he shouted back. "I didn't know it was Saturday!"

"It's not," she said more quietly when she got closer. "I'm here on…other matters." She pulled out a small box, which held six golden symbols.

"Wait, you're the challenger?" Ash asked, astonished. "I thought that Professor Oak said that a guy would be challenging me today."

"That I did," Gary Oak said as he exited his lab. Gary had taken over both the lab and title from his grandfather when he passed away a few years back. "He's waiting for you in the yard. Hey, good to see you again, Misty."

"It's been a little while," she agreed as they shook hands. Ash felt a pang of jealousy at that, though he knew he had no reason to. "How're things going with Erica?"

Gary took out a small leather box, a ring box, and twirled it around his hands before opening it to reveal its empty interior. "She said yes!"

Ash clapped his friend (and they really were friends now) on the back. "Good for you, Gary. I look forward to the wedding."

"Who said you were invited?" Gary said snidely, and then laughed. "Don't worry, you are."

"You two really make a great couple, now that you've calmed down a bit," Misty pointed out. "There's no way she'd be going out with you if you still acted like you did back when you were trying to become Champion."

"Yeah, I have to admit, I wasn't the nicest guy back then," Gary said, almost sheepishly. "I've really mellowed out since I started working on research rather than battling."

"Anyways, Misty, since I've got this other guy already waiting…uh, what was his name, Gary?"

"Said his name was Chris, from Oldale Town in Hoenn."

"Right," Ash restarted. "Since he registered first, you mind waiting until this afternoon?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine," Misty replied, smiling. "It'll be nice to get a bit of perspective on your current style."

"Then let's head up to the field," Ash said, leading the way. Misty and Gary both followed, and Pikachu jumped up on Ash's shoulder. They quickly reached the Battle Field, where the challenger stood waiting. "Hey!" Ash shouted, getting Chris's attention.

"Hello," Chris said calmly. He was pretty young, maybe eleven or twelve at most. "I'm Chris."

"Good to meet you, Chris," Ash said, offering his hand. "You've met Gary, and this is Misty, the Cerulean Gym Leader."

"HEY!" Misty suddenly shouted. "I remember you! You're that little brat from a couple years ago!" She trailed off, realizing that everyone was staring at her.

"Brat?" Gary asked, wondering. Ash wondered, too, and looked to either of them for an answer.

"I'm not a brat," Chris replied, peeved. "Are you really still mad about that?"

"Uh, well…" Misty's face turned red, not from anger, but embarrassment at having been angry. "It was…kind of…"

"C'mon, Misty, where'd you meet him?" Ash asked anxiously.

"He's the last trainer to have earned the Cascade Badge!" her confession came out in a rush. She took a deep breath, realized that everyone was still looking at her, then added, "he was also the first for three years, I think."

Ash started to laugh. "Is that it? Just because the only people who've beaten you in the past five years besides him have been other Leaders?"

"Which reminds me," Gary cut in, "from the sound of things, Misty, the League is going to 'officially request' that you start using lower level Pokemon."

Misty turned red again, but from anger this time. "They already are!" she screamed. "That's why I came here in the first place! Oooh, this is not helping!" She then screamed again and ran off, northward.

"…That was interesting to watch," Chris said after a moment. "You wouldn't think that a water trainer would be such a hothead."

"Just think of if she were a fire trainer, though," Gary replied. "She'd really be a terror then! Being a water trainer cools her carrot top a bit." Both of them started laughing, but Ash just glared at them.

"Knock it off, Gary," Ash said curtly. "It's not helping." Why had that made her so mad, he wondered. He was used to taking defeat in stride, of course, which he knew she had less practice with, but even so, she was never like this back when they were travelling together. He was surprised when he realized just how long that had been. Sometimes, it still seemed like only yesterday he finally replaced her bike, just last week that Pikachu had fried it.

"Yo, earth to Ash!" Gary shouted in Ash's ear. "Don't go spacing out before a battle like this."

"R-right," Ash stammered, breaking out of his reverie. "Anyways, Chris, did Gary tell you the rules for this battle?" Chris shook his head no. "Ok, then. It's a six on six battle, with one special rule."

"What's that?" Chris asked, intrigued.

"Each of you must reveal three of the Pokemon you will use in the battle," Gary instructed. "Then, you can choose your other three accordingly."

"Sounds cool," Chris said confidently. "I'm guessing Pikachu will be one of yours?"

"Yep, sure will." Ash tried to sound energetic, but he couldn't get Misty off his mind. "Being the Frontier Brain, I'll reveal my three first. You already know one, so…" He tried to focus on his teams, to decide who to use for this battle. "Charizard…and Glalie."

"Okay, good team," Chris said as he started thinking about his own Pokemon. "Clefairy, of course…"

"A Clefairy?" Even distracted as he was, Ash couldn't help but laugh at that. He stopped, however, at the dangerous glare Chris shot at him. He also realized part of why Misty was mad.

"I'll warn you now, a lot of trainers have underestimated Clef," Chris said coldly. "She makes them regret that."

"It's really just like your Pikachu, Ash," Gary pointed out. "Both trainers, and probably the Pokemon as well, prefer their unevolved forms."

"Oh, good point," Ash said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Anyways," Chris continued, "Clefairy, of course, as well as Torterra and Sableye."

"Yikes, that's a tough team to counter," Gary said, and looked at Ash. "Hey, you still with us?"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry." Ash shook his head, but it did nothing to clear his thoughts. "Anyways, we'll meet back here in an hour for the battle, okay?"

"Can Charizard get here that fast?" Gary asked. He didn't know where the Charific Valley was, but he knew it usually took a while for Charizard to make the trip from there."

"I called for him last night," Ash told him. "Last I saw, he was eating breakfast."

"An hour will be great," Chris replied. "Do you have a terminal I can use here?"

Gary turned towards the lab, "yeah, in here. You coming, Ash?"

"Nah, I'll stay out here," he called back. He then worked on deciding who to use in the battle. "That Sableye worries me the most," he said to Pikachu, "though I guess maybe it should be the Clefairy we worry about. Glalie should be able to handle the Torterra pretty easily…"

"(He's cocky. He revealed one that he knew you already had an advantage over. Or so you think.)" Pikachu chided from his shoulder.

"Okay, okay, I get it!" he hadn't, though, until his friend pointed it out. "I think we'll need to get a really balanced group for this one, Pikachu. Sceptile's a good powerhouse, and can probably match that Torterra if he needs to."

"(Noctowl would be good for the Sableye,)" Pikachu suggested.

"Hey, good idea! Thanks, Pikachu. Now, one more…Muk!"

"(Do we have to?)" Pikachu cringed. He didn't mind Muk too much, other than his smell.

"It'll be fine," Ash told him. "He's really resilient, and could turn the tide if this gets drawn out."

"(Fine, fine,)" Pikachu conceded. "(Want me to go get them?)"

"Sure, have them meet up at the house. I'll…be there in a bit." Ash watched Pikachu dart off to gather his teammates, and then turned north, wondering just how far Misty had run by this point. "Gah! There's no way I'll be able to battle if I can't get this out of my head!" Frustrated, he started examining his memories again, and his feet began to carry him northward.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oooh, stupid Ash!" Misty screamed again, "Stupid League! Stupid cocky little brat, stupid Gary…" Her tirade repeated over and over as she walked, not really paying attention to where she was until she nearly fell in the river. "Stupid river! Stupid…me…" she realized just where she was at that moment, and her tirade was forgotten. "Here, again, eight years later…" She began to swim through her memories as she pulled out her rod and started fishing, in the exact same spot as eight years before.

"Well, I guess I've achieved my dream from back then," she realized, remembering that she had aspired to be a master Water Pokemon trainer back then. Her team that she used in the gym consisted of a bunch of Pokemon that countered their weaknesses as Water types with their second element. Her Whiscatch could easily beat any electric Pokemon, and her Mantine was great against grass types. She then remembered how Chris had beaten her, and realized that she had no reason to be mad at him, either. "None of them had an advantage against water-types," she realized. "He always attacked their other element. Pretty good strategy, apparently." It had definitely caught her off guard, since she'd worried so much about water defenses that she hadn't thought of the others.

She continued to sit for a while, realizing that she felt much better but not wanting to go back and admit that she was wrong, yet. _Besides, _she reasoned, _I need to start building a new team._

* * *

_What is wrong with me?_ Ash wondered as he ranged further from town. By this point, he didn't even know how long he'd been walking, lost in thought and memories. Suddenly, he heard a Spearow squawk nearby. _Spearow, huh? That's kind of where it all started, isn't it?_ It was hard to imagine now, but he remembered how their first day out, Pikachu really didn't like him, and wouldn't listen at all. And Ash's attempts to catch Pokemon without Pikachu's help did more harm than good, as he ended up angering a Spearow he hit with a rock. _I think that this is the tree Pikachu was sitting in,_ Ash mused, admiring how much bigger the tree was eight years later.

_Wait a minute…_ Ash looked at his watch. _It's been exactly eight years!_ Today was the eighth anniversary of his Pokemon adventure. Eight years since he first met Pikachu. "Eight years since I met Misty…" His thoughts wandered back to that fateful day. Spearow had been just as mad at Pikachu as at Ash for being hit by the rock, and so attacked both of them. Pikachu got mad and zapped it, which made it so angry that it called the whole flock to back it up.

_I jumped into the river right about…here._ Ash traced out the path that he'd taken, from grabbing Pikachu and running from the Spearow, to diving into the river. "Then Misty fished me out." He remembered how little the two of them liked each other at first, but she had let him use her bike to try and get Pikachu to the Viridian Pokemon Center. Ash began to laugh. "It's been eight years since Pikachu first fried someone's bike, too."

Walking around at the top of the waterfall, Ash looked downstream. Standing in nearly the exact same place as that day, he saw a very familiar redhead up to her knees in the water, fishing. "Just like the day we met." Standing on the rocks of the river to get a better view, Ash started to call out to her when his footing gave way. The last thing he saw was a rock rushing towards his face.

* * *

"This really isn't going well," Misty said to herself. She'd been fishing for nearly an hour, and not so much as a nibble on her line. "Maybe not as many Pokemon live in this river anymore." She thought back to the last time she was fishing in this neck of water. She was getting some good hits that day, including the biggest 'fish' she ever caught.

"Eight years can really change a place," she said, thinking out loud. The path that she'd ridden her bike along to get there was overgrown and almost unrecognizable. _Looks like no one's been down here in a while, _she concluded, _so I guess that the fishing really has dried up._ She sighed and started reeling in her lure, not sure if she was going to go back to Pallet or somewhere else. Suddenly, she heard a shout from upstream, and looked to see a large splash at the top of the waterfall. _Just like…_Her thought trailed off as she saw the origin of the splash tumble down the waterfall. "Ash!!" she screamed as the swift stream carried him towards her. She quickly cast her line back out, hoping that the same thing would work twice. Sure enough, her hook snagged on the sleeve of his shirt, and she tried to reel him in.

"It's no use, you're too heavy!" she shouted, "I need you to help, here!" Suddenly, she realized just why he wasn't trying to swim to shore, saw that he was motionless and face down in the water. "NO!!!" she howled as she jammed her rod into the rocky shore. Running out as far as she could, she then swam over to his motionless body, turning him over and pushing him back to shore. "Oh, please, work out like last time…"

Pulling him up onto the shore, she was reminded of the first time she'd saved him from drowning, back in the Orange Islands. Immediately, she began CPR, trying to get him to start breathing again. Her lips wrapped around the ones that had been in her dreams lately, but she hardly noticed as she performed rescue breathing to keep Ash alive. After a moment, Ash coughed, spitting out the water that he'd inhaled, but he didn't wake up. He was breathing and had a steady pulse, at least.

Then she noticed the swelling on his forehead. "So that's why…" Not completing the thought, Misty stood up and tore off the lower portion of her shirt, leaving the rest looking much like the shirt she was wearing that day. She tore the other part in two, soaking one part in the river for a moment, and using the other to tie it onto his head. "Don't you dare leave me like this, Ash Ketchum," she whispered as she massaged the rags around his head, resting him on her lap…

* * *

"He should be here by now," Gary told Chris when he asked why Ash was late. "Wait here, I'll go look for him." Chris nodded, and Gary darted off towards Ash's house. En route, he passed Pikachu running the other way. Sensing the worry on Pikachu's face, Gary turned around and followed him back to the lab.

"Why're you back without him?" Chris asked.

"Ask Pikachu," Gary replied. "But I'm thinking something happened."

"Okay, then," Chris looked at Pikachu. "Pikachu, what's wrong?"

"(He's not back yet. Something doesn't feel right.)" Pikachu's ears and tails bristled as he started following Ash's scent trail.

"He thinks something's happened to Ash," Chris told Gary. "He's going to try and track him down."

"Wait, you understood that?" Gary asked, impressed.

"I've got a Pikachu of my own," Chris replied, "their speech patterns are the same, more or less."

Suddenly, Pikachu started running, and both Chris and Gary struggled to keep up the pace. _Silly lovesick human,_ Pikachu thought angrily. _What have you gone and gotten yourself into?_ He had heard a shout, far away, and probably too quiet for the humans to have heard, but knew that it was Ash even so. In the back of his mind, he remembered how Ash had had to drag him through here, back when they first met. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Worried about what might've happened, he pulled every bit of speed that he could, leaving both humans far behind.

* * *

Ash was floating, confused. He felt like he was in a place where if he chose the wrong path, he'd never get back. He felt numb, and formless. Somehow, he wasn't actually seeing or touching anything, but was just aware. _How do I get out of this?_ he thought. The words began to spin around him before fading into the gulf around him.

"Don't you dare leave me like this, Ash Ketchum…"

_Misty?_ Ash latched onto the words as they swam past him, and suddenly felt himself being pulled. His senses started to become more real, he could feel things that he knew were real. Like an intense pain in his head. He heard static, or something that sounded like it. He saw a warm light, cancelling out the blackness before him.

His senses improved further. He felt something cool on his forehead, something hard under his back and legs, and something warm and soft beneath his head. He could hear the waterfall and the river, could smell…something nice, he couldn't say what. The light became the feeling of sunlight shining on closed eyes.

He felt a light pressure moving across his forehead, and he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw in the new brightness was the red hair that he knew so well. "M-misty?"

"Ash! You're awake! Oh, I'm so glad you made it!" Misty helped him sit up, and then wrapped her arms around him. "Don't ever do that to me again!" Ash looked down, and saw that she was crying onto his shirt. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close.

"I won't," he whispered, stroking her hair. "If I can help it, I won't." He looked deeply into her eyes, and she into his, and their lips met.

"I love you, Misty," Ash said when they separated. "I don't want to go any further without admitting that, to myself and to you."

"I love you too, Ash," Misty admitted. "I'd been trying to hide it from myself, tried to deny it, but when I saw you in the water…I knew. I knew that I couldn't live without you." Tears sparkled in her eyes as she smiled at him.

"Piiikaaa!" The two of them looked up at the top of the falls, to see Pikachu looking down at them. They watched as Gary and Chris both ran up behind him, apparently out of breath, from what they could see at this distance.

"Heeeey!" Ash called up, waving. "Ow!" he winced as a jolt of pain radiated from his concussion.

"Careful, Ash!" Misty chided, holding him so he wouldn't fall over. "C'mon, let's get back to Pallet Town, and we can get that bandaged properly." The two of them walked up the overgrown trail to the top of the falls and met the others waiting for them.

"What happened?" Gary asked as they approached.

"I slipped and fell into the river," Ash admitted sheepishly.

"That would probably explain this, then." Chris was standing near where Ash had been when he fell. He pointed to a rock that was now sharply broken off.

"I always knew you had a hard head, Ash!" Misty laughed. The others did too, except for Ash, who groaned. "Hey, no getting mad at me for that, mister. You were a lot worse, before."

"Hey, at least I wasn't telling jokes about you behind your back," Ash said defensively. Both Chris and Gary turned red as Misty glared at them.

"I guess you're right," Misty admitted. "So, we've both laughed at the other, we're even, right?"

"Not quite," Ash said, smirking. Suddenly, he spun face to face with her, and kissed her cheek before she could react. Both Chris and Gary stood there stunned, while Pikachu wore a smirk to match Ash's.

"Hey!" she shouted in his face. All three boys now expected her to smack him. "If you're going to do that, let's do it right." She pulled him in for a kiss that left the others speechless. "Now, let's get you back to town," she said after the kiss. "You may have other injuries that we haven't noticed yet, so we really ought to get you treated."

"Yeah, good point," Ash replied, and both Chris and Gary nodded their heads in agreement. "Looks like our battle may need to wait until tomorrow, Chris."

"That's fine, I can wait." Chris pulled out one of his Pokeballs. "Clef, give us a hand!" A Clefairy emerged from the Pokeball, unlike any that Ash had seen before. It had green ears instead of black, and was a brighter shade of pink, and it seemed to shine as it emerged. Immediately he was reminded of his Noctowl, and knew that this was a rare 'Shiny' pokemon. "Clef, use Teleport!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ash blinked, and suddenly, they were all standing in front of the Pokemon Center in Pallet Town. Very glad that they were able to return to town so quickly, he went inside to ask about treatment. Joy took some time to examine him, determined that other than a few scrapes and his concussion, he was fine, and then she re-wrapped his head and gave him some medicine.

"It's a good thing that the Joys have begun training in human medicine as well," Misty observed as they left the Center.

"Most of them knew a little about it anyways," Gary commented. "Now, though, they've got better supplies for it, since there are so few people or facilities that treat primarily humans."

"I have to say that I really appreciate it," Ash smirked. "Hey, has anyone seen Pikachu?"

"He took off towards your house a while ago," Gary told him. "Probably to relay news to the rest of your team."

"Ah, that's right! We've still got a battle!" Headache or no, Ash was as eager as ever to battle. "Chris, meet me over at the Field, alright?" Chris nodded, and headed to the lab. Gary followed him, and Misty accompanied Ash to his house.

* * *

"(That was close,)" Pikachu said to himself. While Ash was being treated by Nurse Joy, he was going to go home and tell the other Pokemon what had happened. Everything that had happened. He was very glad that he had stopped when he first got there, though, otherwise he might've spoiled the moment. He'd been about to shout before, but when he saw that Misty was taking care of him, he stopped and waited. Until the other two humans arrived, and he decided to alert them to his presence.

There was nearly a riot when Pikachu got to Ash's house. Not only was the team for the upcoming battle on hand, but all of Ash's Pokemon at the lab (except for most of the Tauros herd) were there, too. As he approached, a rush of voices met him. Concern was infused in every voice, though, as they all cared for their trainer.

Suddenly, Charizard roared. "(Calm down! We won't learn anything if you don't let him speak!)" That got them to shut up, though they were obviously still worried.

"(Thanks, Charizard,)" Pikachu said to his large friend. "(Now, first of all, he is ok.)" Sounds of relief drowned out his next words, until Charizard again roared for silence. "(He took a tumble down the waterfall, but Misty saved him. And...)" he waited for the tension to build, "(he finally kissed her!)" Many of the Pokemon began to cheer, and Pikachu heard a few bets being settled between some of them. A few, the newest members of the team, were a little confused, so Pikachu took them aside and filled them in on the backstory.

* * *

"Whoa! Careful!" Ash was overwhelmed by a wave of Pokemon as he approached the house. Misty just stood there and watched as most of his Pokemon showed their affection for him, and relief at his safety, in one way or another. "Alright, alright! Thanks, guys. I know I worried you. But, thanks to Misty, things worked out just fine." Ash turned and smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Now, I've got a battle fight. You guys want to come over and watch?" A cheer rose up from his Pokemon, and both Ash and Misty were given rides over to the Battle Field.

"Whoa, hey!" Gary shouted as they approached. "I thought you were only using six!"

"The others wanted to come and watch!" Ash shouted back. Then, he had an idea. "Misty, do you have anything to write with?"

"Yeah, sure," she replied, and pulled out a notebook and pen from her bag. She tore out a page of the notebook to write on. "Do you want me to write it, or do you want to?"

"If you want to, sure," Ash told her. "Just give me a sec, and I'll tell you what to write once we get down." They dismounted, and Ash walked over to Misty. "Okay, this is going to be my 'I'm not cheating' sheet."

"Huh?" Misty asked, confused.

"I'm supposed to have a set team, and normally I'd have them on my belt," he continued. "So I want to have a record here of what I'm using, so that he won't think I'm cheating by pulling out someone I hadn't planned to to counter him more effectively."

"That makes a lot of sense, Ash," Gary said as he walked over. "I guess you do have a brain after all."

"When I choose to use it," Ash replied, smirking. "Okay, so first, Pikachu, Charizard, and Glalie, since I told him those before." Misty hurriedly scribbled down the names. Ash then looked to make sure Chris wasn't listening. He was still on the far side of the field, admiring Ash's collection of Pokemon. "Then Sceptile, Noctowl, and Muk," he said once her pen fell silent.

"Got it," Misty said triumphantly as she finished writing the names. She then wrote the list again on the bottom half of the paper and tore it in half, giving part to Gary and keeping the other part for herself. "Now, no cheating with that, Gary."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied sincerely. "So, did you want to ref, or should I?"

"You do it," Misty told him. "I want to be cheering again. It's been too long."

"Thanks, Misty," Ash told her, and then brushed her cheek with another kiss. He then walked over to his trainer's box at the edge of the field.

"Okay, the rules are as were previously outlined," Gary said from the midfield line. Ash was reminded that his battle was being televised, and that the recitation was more for viewers information than for them. "Six Pokemon, no substitutions by either side. Ash has already confirmed that he will use his Pikachu, Charizard, and Glalie, and the challenger Chris has confirmed Clefairy, Torterra, and Sableye! Ready?" Both trainers nodded. "Begin!"

"Alright, Glalie, you're up first!" Glalie floated out of the crowd and approached the field.

"Terra, show him what you can do!" Chris threw a pokeball, and his Torterra appeared with a roar and a shower of sparks.

"Ball capsule, impressive," Ash commented. "Glalie, Ice Beam!"

"Submission!" Chris shouted in reply.

The Ice Beam struck Torterra squarely, but she just shook it off and charged at Glalie, dealing heavy damage that left Glalie reeling.

"Whoa, no wonder!" Ash commented. "Step it up, Blizzard!"

"Frenzy Plant!"

With surprising speed, Torterra launched the powerful Grass type attack, smashing squarely into Glalie, who was just firing off the Blizzard attack. The attack lost power as Glalie fainted, but was still powerful enough to take Torterra down with it.

"Double knock-out," Gary shouted. "Each trainer now has five Pokemon left."

"Good work, Glalie," Ash said as he helped Glalie off the field.

"You did what I needed you to," Chris told his Torterra as he returned her to her Pokeball. "Take a good rest. I'm surprised, Ash."

"Why?" Ash asked.

"It's been a while since Terra has faced someone as fast as your Glalie. Normally, they don't stand a chance against that second hit."

"Your Submission attack almost threw me off," Ash replied. "It made her seem a lot slower than she was. Anyways, time for round 2! Sceptile, you're up!" Sceptile vaulted over the other Pokemon to land in position on the field.

"Sceptile, eh? Blade, let's do this!" With a bright flash, Chris's Gallade emerged onto the field.

"Wow, both of them are using an undeclared Pokemon this time," Misty commented, now over at midfield with Gary as a commentator for the recording.

"It's been a while since I've seen a Blademaster's Duel," Gary shouted.

"A...what?" Misty and Ash asked at the same time.

"I'll cover that," Chris called. "Pokemon like Gallade and Sceptile that heavily use blade-like, slashing attacks are sometimes referred to as Sword-type Pokemon. Scyther, Scizor, and a few others also fall into that category."

"Okay, I can understand that," Ash replied. "But what's this about a duel?"

"It's an honor duel," Chris continued. "They will only use blade-related attacks, nothing else. Their current stance proves it." Indeed, both Pokemon had walked to midfield and were shaking hands to initiate the duel ritual. Both of them then jumped back to their starting positions, and extended their blades.

"That sounds pretty cool," Ash said. "You ready, Sceptile?" Sceptile just turned and smiled.

"En guarde!" Gary shouted, in keeping with the duel tradition. Both Pokemon assumed their fighting stances. " Allez!"

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"

"Blade, use Psycho Cut!"

The blades clashed at midfield, and the two Pokemon began an elegant dance, almost, trading blows and defending, changing which type they used when their Trainer called for it.

"Slash!"

"Dark Slice!"

The duel continued for quite a while, both Pokemon showing mastery of their blade skills, neither seeming to have the advantage. Until...

"Feint!" Chris called, and Sceptile prepared for the false attack, only to be fooled by the double-feint that Blade pulled off, knocking Sceptile to the field, hard.

"Sceptile is unable to battle!" Gary shouted. Blade then walked over and offered his hand to Sceptile, helping him back to his feet and helping him off the field.

"Good work, Sceptile, especially for your first time doing that," Ash told him as he sat with the other spectators. "Alright, Charizard, you're up!"

Charizard roared, and flew out onto the field. "Ready? Go!" Gary shouted.

"Blade, Rock Slide!"

"Charizard, Fire Blast!"

Blade started his attack, but was cut off by a gout of flame. After the difficult battle with Sceptile, that was enough to take him down.

"You did very well, Blade. Take a break." Chris withdrew Blade, and prepared his next Pokeball. "Sharp, let's go!"

In a spray of bubbles, Chris's Sharpedo appeared on the field. Charizard was visibly fazed, but then steeled himself against the new opponent. "Ready?" Gary asked, and the trainers and Pokemon nodded. "Go!"

"Charizard, Seismic Toss!"

"Sharp, Surf!"

Sharpedo began building power for the attack, but was cut off by Charizard grabbing him and flying into the air. Charizard winced at the pain from Sharpedo's Rough Skin, but he kept going, and slammed Sharpedo into the ground, hard.

"Alright, now Aerial Ace!"

"Aqua Jet!"

At high speed, the two Pokemon darted at each other, and collided powerfully. In the end, though, Charizard went down from the power of the water attack.

"Sorry about that, Charizard! You did well." Ash helped Charizard off to the side, and then motioned for Pikachu. "It's been a while since I've had such a balanced battle. Let's go, Pikachu!"

"Set? Go!" came Gary's shout from the sideline.

"Pikachu, Shock Wave!"

"Sharp, use Crunch!"

Sharpedo never stood a chance. Before he was anywere near Pikachu, he was hit by a powerful wave of electricity and fell to the ground.

"Thanks, Sharp, you've earned a break," Chris said as he retrieved Sharpedo from the field. "This is actually just what I wanted."

"huh?" Ash asked, confused.

"I wanted to see which of us has the stronger Pikachu. Go, Peach!" Chris threw his Pokeball, and in a blast of electricity and light, his Pikachu appeared.

"Wow, a Pikachu battle," Misty said in awe. "And his is a girl! I think that sparks are going to fly!"

"That's probably an understatement," Gary commented. "Ready? Begin!"

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

"Peach, Dig!"

Chris's Pikachu quickly dug underground, avoiding the Volt Tackle from Ash's.

Or so she thought. "Down the hole, Pikachu!" Peach was suddenly hit from behind by a blast from her opponent.

"Get 'im, Peach!"

She reacted quickly, and dug around to ram Pikachu from underneath, bringing both of them to the surface.

"Pikachu, Thunder!"

"Peach, use Thunder!"

The powerful attacks collided, and created a bright explosion that forced the onlookers to look away. When the smoke cleared and people's vision returned, though, there was a clear winner.

"Ash and his Pikachu have turned the tide at the midpoint!"

"Great work, Peach, you deserve a good rest." Chris called his Pikachu back into her Pokeball, and pulled out his next one. "Saab, you can do it!"

The ball bounced, and Chris's Sableye appeared on the field. "Chris is down to two Pokemon, his Sableye and his Clefairy, while Ash still has three, two of which the challenger doesn't know yet," Gary said from the stands.

"Ash may have the upper hand, but he needs to keep a cool head for it to stay that way," Misty added, with a glance at Ash to make sure he heard.

Sableye and Pikachu faced off at the center of the field, and Sableye smirked. "Begin!"

"Saab, Faint Attack!"

"Pikachu, Shock Wave!"

In a blur of motion and energy, both Pokemon released their unavoidable attacks, and both took a hit from their opponent.

"Now, Thunderbolt!"

"Shadow Ball!"

Sableye deftly dodged the bolt of electricity, and fired a ball of dark energy at Pikachu, which seemed to grow larger as it approached. Pikachu tried to run from it, but wasn't able to escape. The resulting blast sent him tumbling across the field to stop at Ash's feet with a cry. He tried to stand, but then slumped back down.

"That was some massive power!" Gary said excitedly. "I don't know how Ash is going to counter that!"

"Nice work, buddy. He's a tough one." Ash put Pikachu up on his shoulder, and then looked at his team. "Noctowl, this one's yours!"

"Well, now! It's been a while since I've seen Ash use his Noctowl," Gary commented. "It's a very good move, though." Gary looked at the Pokemon on the field, both squared up for the next round. "Begin!"

"Saab, Faint Attack!"

"Noctowl, Foresight!"

Saab disappeared, but Noctowl began casting the light of his Foresight around, and quickly spotted Saab, forcing him into his full solid state. Surprised, he didn't complete his attack, but flinched and nearly fell on his face.

Chris knew that Saab was in big trouble. "Double Team, quick!"

"Aerial Ace, Noctowl!"

Copies of Sableye appeared around the field, but the Aerial Ace cut through all of them, knocking the real one to the ground.

"Finish with Drill Peck!"

Noctowl fell into a spinning dive, and hit Sableye forcefully, sending him tumbling out of the ring.

"Sorry, Saab. We weren't prepared for that combo. You earned a good rest." Chris returned his Sableye to his Pokeball, and then looked at Clef, on his shoulder. "You already knew about her, but can you counter her? Clef, it's up to you!"

With a wave of shiny sparkles, Clef jumped onto the field. "Wow, two Shiny Pokemon facing off!" Misty exclaimed. "It may not mean much, but it's a beautiful sight!"

"Definately," Gary agreed. "Ready? Go!"

"Noctowl, Aerial Ace!"

"Clef, use Gravity!"

The others all watched in amazement as Noctowl slammed into the ground, plucked from the air by Clefairy's attack. It struggled to regain its feet, unused to the force now holding him down. The effect was strong enough that even off the field the trainers and other Pokemon could feel it.

"Now, Earthquake!"

Held down by the Gravity attack, Noctowl couldn't avoid the powerful Ground attack, and he was tossed into the air, only to slam back to the ground, hard. He didn't even try to get back up.

"Oh, wow! I remember that combo!" Misty shouted from the sidelines. She suspected that her Mantine did too.

"Great work, Noctowl," Ash comforted as he helped his old friend off of the field. His heart had dropped when he saw that Earthquake attack. He wasn't sure that Muk could take that, especially since he hadn't done anything to weaken Clefairy yet.

"Well, that brings us to the final face-off!" Gary shouted. "And the challenger will soon see the final Pokemon Ash has chosen."

"This is exactly why I had you write those down, Misty," Ash called. "Otherwise I'd be really tempted to renege here. Muk, your turn!"

Chris smiled as his final opponent entered the field. "Ready?" Gary called from the sideline. Both trainers nodded. "Begin!"

"Clef, Earthquake!"

"Muk, Minimize!"

With surprising speed, Muk shrank, avoiding the worst of Clefairy's attack.

"Now, Sludge Bomb!"

"Clef, use Psychic!"

Muk didn't even get its attack off before it was all over. It was slammed back by the Psychic attack, and returned to normal size as it fell unconscious.

"That's it!" Gary shouted. "The match goes to the challenger!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Good work, Muk," Ash said as he roused his longtime companion. He then walked over to Chris. "As soon as I saw that Earthquake attack, I knew I was in trouble. Muk's defenses are pretty strong, but with that strong of an elemental disadvantage, combined with your speed…the battle was over once you beat Noctowl."

"Yeah, maybe, but that actually took a little more work than I thought it would," Chris replied. "That may be the hardest we've had to work for a victory since Misty."

"Whoa, really?" Misty asked, surprised that she was one of his biggest challenges in the past few years.

"Yeah," Chris replied. "Very few trainers have ever forced me to use all six of my Pokemon. Your team was really good at defending its primary weaknesses, and they were strong in general."

"He's right," Ash added. "I'm really not surprised that your team gives so many others a hard time…hey!"

"What?" the other three asked.

"I just had an idea! It'll probably make you really happy, Mist."

"Okay," she replied impatiently, "what is it?"

"Well, what if you were to keep two teams in training?" Ash asked. "Have one be a lower level team, so that rookies actually stand a chance, and another strong one for special challenges?"

"Again Ash proves he does have a brain!" Gary exclaimed, and they all laughed. "But that is a great idea, Ash. That way the gym leaders—all of them, not just Misty—could raise their favorite teams to be as strong as they could, and also be a fair challenge for travelling Trainers."

Misty's eyes lit up as she realized just what that meant. "Oh! Like a Master's challenge or something, giving experienced trainers a taste of our real power and still passing younger trainers along to challenge the League."

"Exactly," Ash agreed. "Let's run it by the League, and see what they think. Ah!" Ash flinched as pain radiated from his concussion again.

"Ash!" Misty shouted. "Are you ok?"

"I think so, just still hurts," he said, pain in his voice.

"Well, that's what you get, battling in this condition!" she chided.

"Can't argue with that," he replied sheepishly. "Looks like our battle will be postponed, Misty. If you still want to do it."

"Oh, I do, Ash. But not now." She turned to Gary, "why don't you go ahead and contact the League, I'll get him home.

"On it!" Gary replied as he started back towards the lab.

"Thanks!" Ash called after him. "Chris, you can come with us; I forgot to bring along the Determination Symbol with me." Chris nodded and came to help support him from the other side.

After they got to Ash's house, he got the Symbol for Chris, who thanked him again and then headed off, presumably to go battle Brandon.

"How's that?" Misty asked as she rewound the bandage.

"Better," Ash replied. "Thanks." He then started to chuckle.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"This reminds me of that time when we helped out at that hospital."

"Oh, yeah! We helped them take care of the overflow from the Pokemon Center after the crash Team Rocket caused." She started to laugh, too, and sat down on the couch next to him. Pikachu, who had been on Ash's lap, moved to sit in between them, laughing as well.

They sat there in silence for a while, a not-quite-awkward silence. "It's been exactly eight years," Ash finally said. "Did you realize?"

"Exactly?" Misty asked. "You're sure?"

"Of course I remember," Ash told her. "It was the first day of my journey, and Professor Oak always started trainers out on the same day each year."

Misty just stared for a moment; normally it was the guy who forgot anniversaries! "Th-then I guess I shouldn't be too surprised," she stammered after a moment, blushing. She had bookmarked tomorrow as the anniversary, but looking back realized that he was right; she hadn't actually marked the date until they got to Cerulean City, and she must've lost a day somewhere when counting backwards, probably either in Mt. Moon or the Viridian Forest. This was the first time that they'd actually 'celebrated' it, so she hadn't recognized her mistake.

"Actually, to be honest," Ash admitted after a moment, "I didn't even think about it until after I stopped travelling. I was able to ask Professor Oak before he died, though my mom probably has it written down somewhere, too. He told me about how he'd start us out at the same time each year, and he pulled out a file with the info on all of the trainers he's sent out, including their departure dates."

"I wonder if Gary realizes," Misty remarked. "I mean, he started the same day you did, right?" She noticed the hurt expression on Ash's face, and quickly realized why. "He and Erika make a good couple," she continued, bringing a smile back to Ash's face.

"If so, it's probably more because of the trainers he sent out this morning than that he started his journey today," Ash mused. "Let's see…it was probably about this time that Pikachu fried your bike, I think." They both laughed again, and Misty remembered both finding her toasted bike and the day that Ash got her a new one, when they parted ways so long ago after travelling through Johto. "The storm kinda makes remembering hard, though. Wait, it was a little earlier than that, I remember from the angle of the sun when I saw Ho-oh. It would've been about half an hour ago, I guess."

"That really was a big day, wasn't it," Misty agreed. "It was probably about this time that I found my bike, actually. Oooh, I was steamed!"

"The only reason you even let me use it in the first place was because of Pikachu. You were pretty rude to me even before that."

"Who said I let you use it?" Misty retorted, and then laughed again. "I only told you to get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center. I started chasing you to get it back as soon as I got my stuff packed up."

"Oh, yeah, guess I forgot that detail," Ash agreed, embarrassed. "You know, that was actually the only time that Team Rocket wasn't responsible for Pikachu frying a bike; with both May and Dawn Pikachu was attacking them when a stray bolt hit the bike."

"Oh yeah, you had that pack of Spearows chasing you," Misty shuddered. They hadn't exactly left her alone in passing. "Remember when we met them again?"

"Yeah, after the Kanto League, on our way to the Orange Islands. The one I'd hit had evolved into a Fearow, and the flock was terrorizing some Pidgey. So my Pidgeotto evolved to a Pidgeot and got rid of them. He's still over there, actually, though he's getting a little old."

"You always did have a habit of releasing your Pokemon so that they could help other ones," Misty laughed. "Or a family, in Butterfree's case."

"I met him again, too, a while back," Ash said, a little less cheerful. "Him and that pink one both, but they were getting really old, so I doubt that they're still alive."

"Oh. Well, I guess bug types do tend to have shorter life spans," Misty's tone dropped in enthusiasm to meet Ash's. She reached down and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly. Suddenly, her mood brightened, and she started to smile. "Oh! I just remembered!" she pulled out a Pokeball and threw it, revealing Togetic. "She came back a little while ago!"

"Whoa, really?" Ash was smiling too, glad to see Togetic after so long. "That's awesome!" Togetic then flew over and gave him a hug before sitting on Misty's lap.

"Yeah, she kinda just showed up," Misty told him. "Well, more like she dive-bombed me while I was walking outside. And I finally captured her, since I never used a Pokeball when she was a Togepi. I was going to wait until our battle to show you, but I decided now was better."

"I'll say!" Ash agreed. "I know how good it feels to see an old friend after so long. I've gone back and met each of the Pokemon I left behind in my travels, and some of them live here now."

"Yeah, I noticed Primape earlier," Misty commented. She had seen Lapras and Gliscor before, and knew that Charizard and Blastoise both lived elsewhere and could come battle when needed. (It was still called the Squirtle Squad, though, and had expanded greatly.) "When did he come back?"

"Just a few days ago. Anthony invited me to watch the P-1 international tournament again this year, and Primeape was finally dethroned, so he decided to come back with me. Haunter is still with Sabrina, of course, and he wasn't really ever mine to begin with. Oh, and remember Larvitar?" Misty nodded yes. "Well, he's a Tyrannitar now, living up on Mount Silver and protecting Pokemon there."

"Wow, that just kinda brings it home just how much you've travelled, huh?"

"Yeah. Hey, I was meaning to ask; I've been asked to make an appearance at the Hoenn League tournament next week. Do you want to come with me?"

"Really? I, I'd love to!" Misty said enthusiastically. "I've only left Kanto once since you came back, when I went to the Whirl Islands to win the Whirlpool cup."

"I think we both need to get out more, then," Ash suggested. He hesitated for a minute, but when Misty didn't say anything, he continued. "Speaking of which…do you want to go out to dinner tonight? Y'know, to celebrate our eighth anniversary."

"Are you finally asking me out, Ash Ketchum?" Misty replied, instantly wanting to take one of those words back. Ash had heard, though, and he smiled. "Yeah, let's do that."

"Great!" he replied. "It's getting kinda late, do you want to go now?"

"Sure!" she answered, standing up. She then realized that she was still wearing the outfit that she'd been fishing in, and that she'd torn to produce bandages. "Uh, can I change first?"

Ash laughed. "Sure, Misty." He tugged at his mud-stained shirt, "I kind of want to get cleaned up myself. You were planning to stay at my mom's place like usual, right?" Misty nodded. "And if I remember right, you've got several outfits down there. How about you head over there to clean up, and I meet you there in an hour?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Misty agreed, heading for the door. "Oh, how formal should I go?"

"Uh, me in slacks and a nice shirt and you in a dress is semi-formal, right?" Misty couldn't help but giggle as she nodded in agreement. "Then let's go with that. See you in an hour!"


	5. Chapter 5

An hour and a half later, Ash drove his car past the police outpost at the south end of Viridian City. He slowed and he and Misty waved to Officer Jenny, who waved back when she recognized them. Both had their hair styled different than usual, to keep a lower profile, but it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before.

"I think it was about this time that I finally got to town," Misty said. "I was kinda slow, carrying my bike like I was."

"I'm still not sure why you decided to bring it with you," Ash replied, "though it really helped out when we fought off Team Rocket for the first time."

"Mostly because I was so angry I wanted to smack you with it," she told him.

"And that means that Pikachu was in the ICU and I was on the phone with Professor Oak," Ash said, returning to the initial topic. "I was really stressed out. Anyways, we're here."

"No way!" Misty exclaimed as she saw their destination. "We're really eating at The Island?" As its name implied, The Island was a restaurant that focused on cuisine from various islands from around the world. Still awed by the restaurant, she jumped when Ash opened her door for her.

"Oh, come on, Misty, it's not a big deal." Ash told her.

"Well, yeah, I guess so," she said quietly. "I just haven't ever eaten here."

"It's also only been open for a few months," Ash reminded her. "I'm ashamed to say it's my first visit, too."

Misty was about to ask why he was ashamed when they walked through the door. A young man wearing an odd white and red hat was standing at the reception desk. "Ah, there you are!" he exclaimed as they walked in. "Come in, come in!" He ushered the two of them to a table where a young woman in an orange, floral print dress was waiting.

It was seeing her that sparked a memory for Misty. "Oh! It's you two! Marc, Glo, how are you? I haven't seen you for years!"

"Oh, now it's been less than that, Misty," Glo replied. "You were at our wedding just a few months ago, remember?"

"Yeah, I do, but it still feels like forever!" she continued excitedly.

"I didn't expect to see you here tonight, Marc," Ash said as he sat down.

"Oh, nonsense!" Marc replied. "I don't normally meet guests at the door, yes, but we're here most nights. And when you called ahead, Ash, we decided to do this. It is our restaurant, after all."

Misty couldn't help gawking. "You two own this place!? I guess I haven't paid enough attention." Everyone shared a good laugh at that.

"Do you need a menu?" asked Marc. "Or do you know what you want?"

"I don't think we need a menu," Ash replied. "At least, if Misty agrees."

"I guess that depends on what I'm agreeing too," she answered with a smile.

"Let me guess," Glo asked. "The Cinnabar Trout for two?"

"Bingo," Ash replied.

Misty's eyes lit up. "Oh, that'd be wonderful! I almost never have that. And I'm guessing you have Conu juice to drink, right?"

"But of course," Marc replied. They then surprised the pair of them when they sat down next to them at the table.

"Wait, don't you need to relay the order to the kitchen?" Misty asked, confused.

"Oh, they're already making it," Glo smiled. "When we heard that you and Ash was coming, we figured that you'd most likely want that, so it's already cooking, and probably almost done."

"We figured that if you didn't, someone else would, and they'd get a surprise by their meal arriving early," Marc added.

They all laughed, and then the number 10 lit up on the sign by the kitchen. "I was right, it's done!" Glo said as she stood back up. She went into the kitchen and came back out with two well-loaded trays, which held four glasses, two large platters with the steaming fish on them, a unique bowl with pieces of fruit in it, and four smaller plates.

"So, taking your dinner break now?" Ash guessed when he saw both platters.

"Of course!" Marc replied as he helped unload the trays onto the table. Glo then went and put away the trays, and quickly came back and sat back down while Ash and Misty were still just staring at the dish.

"So, serving the Conu fruits out of the shells?" Ash asked as he took a piece of fruit. "Very nice!" He popped the fruit into his mouth, and couldn't help but smile at the succulent flavor.

Misty started with a bite from the fish. She and Ash never had this stuff except for when they were with these two, and she had missed the taste. The reason, of course, was that both the fish and the fruit were so expensive, normally. It was a bargain here, though, because these two grew up on the islands where they originated. She then took a drink of her juice, and nearly started laughing. "Oh, this is excellent! And this juice is intoxicating, did you guys make it into wine?"

Marc just shrugged. "Nope, but we've refined our juicing to get a better flavor."

"Is it just me, or is this stuff a little more expensive than you need it to be?" Ash asked, knowing that that was easily possible, because people would still buy it.

"Not really," Glo answered. "We pay his family and neighbors close to what merchants do for the fruits. Ok, not so much as that, but we're not just taking the fruit for free anymore."

"And keeping the price a little higher will also help sustain the populations of both the fish and the fruit," Marc added. "I don't plan to let them become extinct because I was giving them away."

"That's a good point," Misty agreed. Ash nodded in agreement as well. They continued to talk as they ate, catching up on things that'd been happening over the past few years.

As they were finishing, one of the normal waiters came over and asked if they wanted dessert. They declined, having eaten the two largest fish that they had at the time. "I've been meaning to ask," Marc said as the waiter departed. "What happened to your head, Ash?"

Ash felt the bandage, and chuckled. "I kinda did a face plant into the river and hit a rock."

"No kidding?" Glo asked, and the other two both nodded. "Then let me guess, you had to fish him out again, Misty."

"Yeah," Misty replied, "especially since he was unconscious this time."

Glo's jaw dropped. "No way…I was just joking. Really?" They nodded again. "Oh wow."

"Was it scary?" Marc asked, trying not to sound like a kid.

"For me, not really," was Ash's reply. "But I was unconscious. For her, I think she was terrified."

"I don't know if that's strong enough a word," Misty added. Tears returned to her eyes as she remembered just how she had felt only a few hours earlier.

"Mist," Ash said gently, brushing her hair out of her face. He stared into her eyes, and knew just how afraid she had been. As afraid as he would be if he thought he would lose her. They stood slowly, and the table and chairs disappeared from their world. Marc and Glo were already long gone, for them. For a time, they merely drank one another's eyes, feelings they had tried to suppress rising to the surface. Ash slid his arms around her, and she put hers around him. They pulled each other close, into a long, passionate kiss. Their kiss that morning was nothing compared to this. The feelings that had been planted eight years before blossomed at last.

Like all kisses, theirs eventually ended, and they pulled back, a little. The rest of the world came into focus around them. Marc and Glo were staring at them, somewhat awed.

"You…that was…don't tell me that…" Glo stammered. She took a deep breath to try and regain her composure. "Was that your first kiss? It sure looked like one."

"Mmmm, not really," Misty said, somewhat dazed. "First one like that, though."

"Our first kiss was this morning, I think," Ash continued.

"Technically, our first kiss was seven years ago when I first gave you CPR," Misty said, giggling. Ash couldn't help but laugh along with her, nodding his head in agreement.

"Well," Marc said, finally finding his voice again. "That was memorable to watch."

Glo punched him lightly. "So was ours, according to the people there."

"True, true," he agreed. "In the hospital after we both got shot, yeah?"

"Uh huh! Now here's your prize for the right answer." She reached up and pulled him down into a kiss as well, though it definitely paled in comparison.

After, they said their goodbyes, and Ash and Misty left while Marc and Glo returned to work. They rode in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

Misty looked at her watch as they approached Pallet Town. "Hey, I think it was about this time when we first saw Team Rocket blast off."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Ash agreed. "Maybe a little earlier, but not much."

They continued through town until they got to Ash's mom's house, that she asked Misty to use as a hotel whenever she was in town. They kissed again before Misty got out of the car, and Ash was about to pull away when…

"Hold it right there, mister!"

"Mom!?" Ash shouted, panicked.

"You're not going anywhere without explaining that bandage on your head!" Delia said insistently as she reached the car. "That looks horrible! What happened?"

"Mom, calm down!" Ash almost shouted. His mother froze, and he continued, more calmly. "It's not a big deal. Okay, I guess it was a big deal, but between Misty and Nurse Joy, I'm fine. I just fell and hit my head on a rock."

"And then you would've drowned if I weren't there," Misty added, and Delia flinched.

"I don't think I'd have even been there if you weren't, though," Ash said.

"Oh, sure, blame it all on me. If you're shifting blame, you might as well blame that kid Chris for showing up today and helping get me angry." Misty sounded cross, but couldn't hold it and started laughing. Ash couldn't help but laugh along, and eventually his mom laughed too. A little.

"I guess that I don't need to worry as much, if you've got Misty around," she agreed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Now, Mom, you know I don't mean to make you worry," Ash said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But honestly, I make you worry by waking up in the morning." This time his mom was the first to laugh, though the other two joined her quickly.

"I know, son, I know. I can't help it, I guess."

"And it's not like that's a bad thing," he continued. "I need someone to do it, after all. Just, don't let it get to you so much that you give yourself a heart attack, ok?"

"Yeah, ok," she agreed, backing away from the car a little bit. "But could you call when you get to your place? With that bump on your head…"

"Yeah, Mom, I will." He realized that she had a very good point, there. "Goodnight, Mom! Goodnight Misty!"

"Goodnight, Ash!" they said together. Delia then went back into the house, but Misty watched the headlights of the car until she saw them arrive at Ash's house. She couldn't help but smile when she heard the phone ring as she went inside.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, Misty, I'll be using Pikachu, Primeape, and Sceptile." They heard Primeape shout happily nearby. He already knew that he'd need to use the same plan as yesterday, and write down his last three, just in case. He would never cheat Misty, but it'd look better if he submitted the list.

"Okay, I'll be using Gyarados, Corsola, and Golduck," she replied. "I'm gonna go in and use the computer for a bit, then I'm ready."

"Alright. I'm going to do like yesterday, and give Gary a list of my other three. The others all want to watch again."

Misty giggled. "No problem."

She ducked into the lab, presumably to switch Togetic for someone back in Cerulean. He'd been a little surprised that she hadn't listed her, though. She'd seemed eager to use her in the battle.

Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder as he wrote down who else he planned to use. "Can't use too many grass types, flying and ice both trump it, but I think I'll use Venusaur." Pikachu nodded in agreement. "And Lapras, I think. She's done well against other water types before. Aaaaaand…Snorelax." Pikachu agreed with both of those as well, especially Snorlax. He was a tank, and would be able to do a lot in the battle. He jumped down and ran over to keep him from finishing his meal so that he'd be awake when it was his turn to battle. He wasn't happy about it, but he did end up following Pikachu back over to the battlefield.

Misty, meanwhile, was inside, making her final preparations. She was going to keep Togetic with her, of course, because she expected him to think she was sending her home instead. She swapped out Staryu for Dewgong, though. The Swampert that she'd gotten from Brock would round out the team.

When she went outside, she saw most of Ash's Pokemon moving towards the battle area. She broke into a jog, and got there as Ash was handing a sheet of paper to Gary. She slowed down and walked into her box, at about the same time that Ash got over to his.

Gary dropped into his television voice as they turned to face each other. "We will be using the standard Battle Field ruleset; three declared Pokemon and three unknown each, and no substitutions by either trainer. Ash has announced that he will use Pikachu, Sceptile, and for the first time here, Primeape. Misty, the challenger, has announced her Gyarados, Golduck, and Corsola." He moved from the center of the field to his judges station, set up on the opposite side of the field from the pond; there were several options for playing fields in these battles, bringing terrain into the mix of variables. "Trainers, ready?" Both of them indicated they were. "Begin!"

"Primeape, ready to go?" Ash called. He heard Primeape yell, and then the Pig Monkey Pokemon jumped out onto the field.

"Ok, then I'll go with Golduck!" Misty shouted as she threw the ball onto the field. It had taken a lot of work, but eventually the Psyduck that she caught without even trying had evolved. Its psychic powers were still admirable, and now she didn't need him to have a headache to use them.

"Set? Go!"

"Primeape, use Mach Punch!"

"Golduck, use Barrier!"

Primeape moved fast, getting in before Golduck had his Barrier in place. Golduck stood right back up, though, ready for more.

"Use Hydro Pump!"

"Shatter the Barrier with Brick Break!"

Again Primeape was faster, breaking through Golduck's Barrier and striking hard. And ended up at point blank range for the Hydro Pump, which washed him halfway across the field. He rolled and got back on his feet, still eager to go.

"Alright, now use Triple Kick!"

"Use Disable!"

Primeape came in spinning, but after the first kick Golduck lashed out with Disable and flung Primeape back again. He got back to his feet, but it was obvious he was slowing down.

"Ok, Primeape, use Mega Punch!"

"Golduck, Psybeam!"

Using Psybeam turned out to be a mistake, as Primeape was able to dodge it, and landed a solid Mega Punch that sent Golduck flying. Golduck rolled, and landed at Misty's feet.

"Oh, Golduck!" she exclaimed, crouching and wrapping her arms around him. "You did your part, time for a rest."

"Golduck went down hard!" Gary commentated. "Primeape is showing just why he was the six time P-1 International champion. Both Ash and Anthony did some great work raising him."

Misty stood after returning Golduck to his Pokeball. "Well done, Primeape. I didn't realize just how strong you are. But I'm not underestimating you two again! Togetic, let's go!"

Ash's eyes widened, having expected Misty to have sent Togetic home earlier. "So, you decided to keep her around?"

"Of course!" Misty replied, smiling. "I knew that I'd trick you with that, Ash, so you still only knew about three of my Pokemon."

Ash realized she was right; her back-up members could've been any of her Pokemon, and he had kind of discounted Togetic because he knew that she was already with Misty. "She never really battled before, so I'm eager to see how well she does," Ash called back.

"Well! I haven't seen Misty's Togetic since it was a Togepi several years ago! Ready? Begin!"

"Primeape, Sky Uppercut!"

"Togetic, Aerial Ace!"

Primeape jumped up to strike at Togetic, but she twirled out of the way of his fist and struck his head with her wings, slamming him back to the ground. He didn't get back up this time, though he definitely tried.

"Looks like that Aerial Ace did it! Primeape is down!" Gary shouted. "That leaves us tied at one down apiece."

"Good work, Primeape," Ash said as he helped him to the sideline, so he could watch the rest of the match. Despite being barely awake, Primeape smiled as he sat, satisfied with lasting that long, at least. "That wasn't just because Golduck weakened him, Misty, I could tell. Togetic is really strong. Lapras! Come on over!" Lapras sang happily as she came across to the battlefield part of the pond.

"Be careful, Togetic!" Misty called.

"Alright, looks like we're ready for the next round. Set? Go!"

"Lapras, Ice Beam!"

"Dodge and use Metronome!"

Togetic deftly rolled out of the way of the Ice Beam, but then she paused after using Metronome, and began glowing.

"Oh, this could be bad," Misty said, realizing that the move was one that needed to be charged first.

"Quick, use Ice Beam before she finishes charging!" Ash shouted, recognizing the glow of Solarbeam.

Lapras cooed, and fired another Ice Beam, but it ended up running parallel to Togetic's Solarbeam, and both Pokemon were hit hard. But neither was ready to give up.

"Togetic, use Assist!"

"Lapras, Hydro Pump!"

Togetic twirled out of the way of the gush of water, and began to glow again, but differently this time, her Assist becoming Corsola's Recover.

"Alright! Now use Aerial Ace again!"

"Lapras, Blizzard!"

At first, Togetic was able to avoid the Blizzard attack as she dove in, but Lapras redirected it, and scored a good hit. But Togetic kept diving right through it, nearly knocking Lapras out of the pond with the hit.

"Finish with Headbutt!" Misty called. Togetic rammed Lapras before Ash could call out a command. She cried out and lay down on top of the water, unable to continue.

"Oho! Togetic took down Lapras!" Gary called. "That leaves Misty one up on Ash!"

Ash ran over to the pond, and stroked Lapras on the nose gently. "You did great, Lapras. Just sit back and watch the rest." He then jogged back to his box. "Well, Togetic really took me by surprise, Misty. She's really quick. But so is Pikachu. You ready?"

Pikachu hesitated, not wanting to battle his little friend from so long ago. But when Togetic called to him to get on the field, he realized that this was business, so to speak, and that they were still friends regardless. He thought of how often he'd zapped Ash as he ran out on the field.

"Don't hold back, Pikachu!" Misty called. "We want this to be a real battle!" Pikachu shouted affirmatively. "You can do this, Togetic!"

"I wonder if Togetic can overcome the elemental disadvantage here? Looks like they're both ready to go. So, begin!"

"Togetic, use Metronome!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu fired off the Thunderbolt, but ended up missing completely as Metronome pulled out Dig, and Togetic dove underground.

"Don't give her a stationary target!" Ash called to Pikachu, who began darting from place to place. But Togetic still managed to score a hit, bursting from the ground directly in front of him as he ran around and knocking him off his feet.

"Now, Aerial Ace!"

"Thunderbolt again!"

Pikachu hit Togetic as she was diving, but it wasn't enough to stop her, and she hit him hard, sending him tumbling. He got up and shook it off, sparks flying from his cheeks.

"Step it up, Pikachu! Thunder!"

"Metronome!"

Pikachu attacked first, but Togetic fired off her own attack before being struck. She fired off a powerful blast of wind that surprised everybody, and sent Pikachu flying. But she couldn't take the power of Pikachu's next attack, and fell to the ground.

"I think that that was Aeroblast that Togetic just used!" Gary shouted, ecstatic. "Lugia's signature move sent Pikachu flying, though he still has some fight in him. But it looks like Togetic is done."

"Oh, you did great, Togetic!" Misty shouted as she ran out and picked her up. Even though she was much bigger now, Misty held her like she had as a Togepi, though she jumped down to sit next to her once they were back in the box.

"I'm impressed!" Ash shouted. "Togetic is really strong! It's great to see her back." Misty smiled, agreeing with him entirely. Ash then turned to Pikachu, who was just getting back to the field. "You okay, buddy?" Pikachu just smiled at him, which he knew could mean just about anything, but he was at least ready to keep going.

"Well, Ash, I think it's time to bring out my secret weapon. I got it from Brock in a trade. Swampert, let's go!"

"Oh, crud!" Ash exclaimed when he heard that. Pikachu was going to have a hard time of this one, since Swampert was basically immune to electric attacks. But Pikachu actually looked eager for the fight.

"Misty is on her third Pokemon now, as is Ash," Gary announced. "Ready? Begin!"

"Swampert, use Magnitude!"

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

Pikachu charged forward, jumping about to avoid taking too much damage from Magnitude. Getting in close to Swampert, he spun, smacking him powerfully with his tail.

"Swampert, use Mud Shot!"

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Swampert tried to strike Pikachu with his attack, but Pikachu dodged too quickly, and rammed him hard.

"Good, now use Iron Tail again!"

"Muddy Water!"

Pikachu charged forwards, right into the wave of brown water that Swampert blasted him with. He kept his footing, and was battered by the wave, but kept going and struck Swampert after.

"Alright, Agility!"

"Use Muddy Water again!"

This time Pikachu was able to dodge the attack, and he charged into Swampert again. But he lost his footing when he backpedaled across the now-sodden field.

"Oh no! Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Gotcha! Mud Shot!"

Hampered by the soaked ground, Pikachu was unable to dodge the blast, and splashed across the field to land near Ash.

"Oh my! Misty changed the terrain to favor her Pokemon, and was able to trap Pikachu!"

"I think she knows you too well, buddy," Ash said as he picked up Pikachu. "She knew just what to do to stop you." Pikachu just nodded his head in agreement, and then curled up on the ground next to Ash in the box to watch the rest of the battle.

"Alright, Sceptile, you're next!"

"Ugh, saw this coming," Misty moaned. Swampert had taken a good beating from Pikachu, and he wouldn't last long against a grass type opponent. "Let's show him we're not going down without a fight!"

"Ok, they're ready to start the next round! Begin!"

"Swampert, Mud Shot!"

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"

Swampert struck first, pummeling Sceptile with Mud Shot as he crossed the field, but Sceptile struck hard, and sent Swampert sliding into the pond.

"Well, I can't say I didn't see that coming," Misty said as she called Swampert back. "But we got in a good hit before going down. Ok, Dewgong, let's go!"

"We're at the midpoint of the battle, both trainers using their fourth Pokemon now. But Ash may have an advantage for the second half; both of his Pokemon are still secret, but we know Misty has her Corsola and Gyarados in reserve." Gary paused for a minute as Dewgong dove in and out of the water before resting on the surface. "Set? Go!"

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"

"Aurora Beam!"

Sceptile was able to handle the mud better than Pikachu had, and was able to dodge the Aurora Beam as he closed the distance. Dewgong backpedaled as he approached, but he was still able to leap and strike her with his attack. But he was too far from shore when he hit, and he splashed into the pond.

"Get out of there, Sceptile!"

"Use Aurora Beam before he gets away!"

They were in her element, and Dewgong took full advantage, striking Sceptile and freezing the water around him, immobilizing him.

"Blizzard, quick!"

"Use Slam to break free!"

Without much room to move, Sceptile couldn't get much power behind his Slam, but he was able to make more room with it, and his second blow was much stronger. The ice cracked, but he was still trapped when hit by the Blizzard attack. But while he took a lot of damage, he was also flung free of the icy pond, to land on partly frozen mud.

"Sceptile, Bullet Seed!"

"Dewgong, dive, then use Slam!"

Dewgong took a grazing hit from the Bullet Seed as she slid underwater, and then splashed back out right in front of Sceptile. She slammed him with her powerful tail, sending him sliding through the mud. He slowly got back to his feet, shaking off the mud as best he could.

"Go back to Leaf Blade!"

"Blizzard!"

Sceptile struck first, hitting Dewgong hard. And he was at point blank range when she let off her Blizzard attack. He was blown all the way across the mud to dry ground, struggled to rise, and then fell.

"Oho! That was a brilliant move by Misty and Dewgong, though it looks like Dewgong is definitely feeling it!"

"Thanks, Sceptile," Ash said as he brought a couple of the others to help Sceptile back to the sidelines. He shook most of them off, though he still held on to Ash until he let him down, and he lay back to watch.

Misty, meanwhile, was over by the side of the pond. Dewgong was in bad shape after that last Leaf Blade. "You ready to go out?" Misty asked her. She nodded, and with a pat from Misty returned to her Pokeball.

"Oh, I didn't expect that!" Gary exclaimed. "Misty is removing Dewgong before the next round. Though I guess she probably expected that it wouldn't last long."

"Yep, Dewgong had taken about all she could, there was no reason to make her endure the start of the next round," Misty called back as she returned to her box. "Ash, let's make this round as unbiased as we can! You call yours while my Pokeball is in the air!"

"If you say so," Ash replied. Misty nodded, and then threw her Pokeball onto the field. "Venusaur!" he shouted before it landed.

"Ok, Corsola, get ready!" Misty called as the ball opened to reveal her coral Pokemon.

"It's rare to see Ash use two of the same type Pokemon in the same battle, and now he's using them consecutive. Misty's got the elemental disadvantage, but she's proven that that doesn't mean much." Corsola's smile showed that she wasn't intimidated by Venusaur as they took their positions. "Set? Begin!"

"Venusaur, Razor Leaf!"

"Corsola, Pin Missile!"

Corsola's barrage of spikes shredded the Razor Leaf and hit Venusaur hard. He flinched, but stood strong.

"Okay, use Solarbeam!"

"Ice Beam, Corsola!"

Ash flinched as Venusaur took the Ice Beam right in the face, but he shook it off and kept charging his Solarbeam.

"Now use Mirror Coat!"

"Oh, crud!" Ash shouted in dismay. Corsola took heavy damage from the attack, which made Mirror Coat that much more painful to Venusaur. He staggered when hit by the feedback, but remained standing. Corsola rolled almost to Misty's feet, but then got back up slowly.

"Corsola, use Recover!"

"Venusaur, Synthesis!"

Both Pokemon glowed as they healed their wounds, and Corsola danced back towards the center of the field.

"Ok, Venusaur, Vine Whip!"

"Use Rollout, Corsola!"

Corsola began to roll across the field, slogging through the mud. She took some hits from Vine Whip, but then rammed into Venusaur hard.

"Keep using Vine Whip!"

"Go get him, Corsola!"

Staying on the drier ground, Corsola turned and charged at Venusaur again and again, though she was taking hits from Vine Whip on each pass. Venusaur was reeling from the Rollout attack, though, as Corsola came faster each time. In the end, though, he was able to knock Corsola out of her roll, and out of the match. She tumbled to a stop, unable to rise.

"It looks like Venusaur was just too much for Corsola! Though she didn't go down without a fight! Venusaur is definitely in pain!"

"Thank you, Corsola," Misty whispered after returning her to her Pokeball. "Well, you know what's coming next, Ash. Gyarados, let's go!"

Ash found himself very much wishing he still had Pikachu as backup as Gyarados emerged with a loud roar. Venusaur was intimidated too, knowing that Gyarados wasn't as vulnerable to his attacks as other Water types were.

"Misty is on her final Pokemon! But I think Ash will be soon, looking at the state Corsola left his Venusaur in. Ready? Go!"

"Venusaur, use Synthesis!"

"Sorry, Ash, not gonna happen! Use Dragonbreath!"

Between his size and his injuries, Venusaur had no chance of dodging the vicious attack, and hadn't recovered enough with Synthesis yet to be able to endure it. He fell to the ground with a cry, unable to stand.

"Looks like Corsola really did a number on Venusaur before! It only took one hit from Gyarados to finish what she started." Gary was very excited, now, the tension of the battle reaching its climax.

"Good work, Venusaur," Ash said as he called him back to his Pokeball and then brought him out on the sidelines, much easier than moving him otherwise. "Well, we're down to our last Pokemon each, Misty!" Ash called. Misty just smiled. "Snorlax! I choose you!" Snorlax growled loudly, and the other Pokemon moved out of the way so that he could lumber onto the field.

"Ash has called his own tank out onto the field! Let's see how well Snorlax can do against Gyarados!" Gary paused as Snorlax positioned himself on the field. "Ready, set, GO!"

"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!"

"Snorlax, Mega Punch!"

Once in battle, Snorlax moved surprisingly quick, powering through the Hydro Pump to deliver a strong blow to Gyarados with Mega Punch.

"Ok, Gyarados, use Surf!"

"Ride the wave, Snorlax!"

Snorlax did just that, swimming through the attack easily, just like when Ash had first caught him.

"Now, Snorlax, Rock Throw!"

"Use Hydro Pump, Gyarados!"

Snorlax was hit hard by the Hydro Pump, but ignored it, and began throwing boulders at Gyarados, who found himself unable to dodge all of them, taking a few heavy hits.

"Gyarados, use Dragonbreath again!"

"Snorlax, Body Slam!"

Snorlax charged at Gyarados, right through Dragonbreath, and hit Gyarados full force.

Both of them were showing signs of tiring from enduring the powerful blows of the other, and both trainers knew they had to end it quickly. "Use Hyper Beam!" they both shouted in unison.

The two bright beams collided between the two Pokemon, causing an explosion that filled the area with smoke.

"Gyarados! Try to clear this smoke!" Misty called, though she wasn't sure if he could. Especially when she didn't hear him respond. "Gyarados!"

"Staraptor, clear the smoke away!" Ash called. Staraptor squawked, and then gently blew the smoke from the field, so as not to actually interfere with the battle other than improving visibility.

The scene that was revealed wasn't pretty. Both Snorlax and Gyarados lay sprawled on the field. Ash and Misty each ran over to their partners.

"Gyarados!" Misty shouted again, stroking its head. "C'mon, please get up."

"Snorlax, you there?" Ash called, knocking on Snorlax's belly. It was silly, and he knew it, but if anything was going to get Snorlax to move now, other than food, it'd be making him laugh. "C'mon, get up big guy."

"The battle has ended in a draw!" Gary called. "The first one of the combatants to get back up will be declared the winner!"

"Oooh, come on, Gyarados!" Misty shouted.

Ash, though, just laughed and shook his head. "Congratulations, Misty, you win," he called, walking across the field and still laughing.

"Huh? But he's not…"

"Doesn't matter," Ash said, laughing harder. "Snorlax is asleep, and I doubt he'll get up any time before next week, even without having finished his lunch." Hearing this, Misty couldn't help but laugh, too. They both started laughing harder when Snorlax began to snore loudly, and Misty ended up doubled over and leaning on Gyarados to keep from falling over.

She almost did a face-plant into the mud when Gyarados moved suddenly, and would have if Ash hadn't caught her. Gyarados stretched and roared before slowly rising upright.

"It's official! Misty and Gyarados win!" Gary called, laughing almost as much as the other two.

"Thank you, Gyarados!" Misty called up to her partner. He roared happily, and then returned to his Pokeball.

"That was a tight battle, Misty," Ash said after he finished laughing. "Here, I've got something for you." Ash then pulled a small box from his back pocket.

The Determination Symbol wasn't the only thing inside, and for a moment all Misty saw was a beautiful diamond ring. "A-ash?"

Glad that they were in a dry part of the field, Ash went down on one knee. "Misty, I know it's kinda sudden, but," he paused and swallowed, "will you marry me?"

She didn't say anything for a moment, and then Ash felt something wet drip on his hand. He looked up to see a wide smile on her face. "Oh, Ash, you don't know how many times I've dreamed of hearing you say that," she whispered.

"Maybe as many times as I've dreamed of saying it," Ash replied quietly. He smiled back at her, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I will," she said, slightly louder. Ash stood, wrapping his arms around her, and their lips locked. For a long moment, the only thing that existed besides her was the small box he had to make sure not to drop.

They were brought back to reality by the sounds of applause and cheers from the Pokemon and Gary. "Way to go!" Gary shouted. "And I'll bet that the viewers loved it!"

Misty almost fell in the mud again. "You mean you didn't turn the cameras off?" she asked Ash, trying and failing to sound angry.

"Yeah, of course I didn't," Ash smirked.

Misty scowled for a moment before laughing again. "Just be prepared for way too many guests at the wedding, you big oaf!" Ash just shrugged and kissed her again. "But please tell me you didn't throw the match just to use this to propose," she said after a minute.

"Did it look like I threw the match?" Ash replied. She slowly shook her head no. "I had another plan for if I won, don't worry. You earned that win."

"What was the plan?" she asked, now very curious.

"Well, I actually had three, depending on your reaction," he answered. "But in all three, it was a 'consolation prize'. If you were in a good mood, I'd do it here. If you were mad, but stuck around, I'd have done it while you were re-bandaging my head. And if you'd stormed off angry," he shrugged, "I would've taken a trip out to Cerulean. Or have given it to you on Saturday, I never really decided."

"Good, then you weren't just making that up to save your hide," she replied with a smile.

"Oh, wow, that was awesome!" Misty said as she flopped down on the hotel room bed. "I'm so glad we decided to do a double ceremony."

"Yeah, they seemed to enjoy it too," Ash agreed, kicking off his shoes by the door and hanging up his coat before sitting down next to her. "Kinda made everything easier, planning-wise."

"And cost-wise, as if that mattered." They both laughed. Between what the League paid Misty and Erica as Gym Leaders, Ash as a Frontier Brain, and Gary as a Professor, they could've easily paid for separate ceremonies. "I didn't think your mom would ever stop crying, though."

"That's my mom for you," Ash shrugged. "And now that you're family, you'll get to experience it yourself instead of just watching her do it to me."

"Oh, no!" Misty gasped in false horror. They both laughed, until Misty grunted with pain. "Augh, this thing doesn't want to move at all! And it keeps finding ways to poke me."

Ash was tempted to point out that she was the one who chose the dress, including the various decorations on it that poked her if she wasn't careful. But he wisely kept his mouth shut about the matter. "Well, then do you want me to help you out of it, dear?" he asked, smiling.

Her eyes widened, and then she smiled. "That sounds like a great idea, darling." She giggled as he slid his hands down her shoulders to the zipper, and kissed her as he slowly slid it down as she started unbuttoning his shirt. "Oh! Where's Pikachu?"

"What, worried that he'll disturb us?" Ash chuckled. "He went home with my mom, don't worry. He understands that we want to be alone. And he still hates his Pokeball. 8 years hasn't changed that." They both laughed, and then kissed again, and picked up where they had just left off.


End file.
